Wikipedia:Did you know/Statistics: Difference between revisions
Line 821: | Line 821: | ||
|- |
|- |
||
| [[Yu Zhenwu]] || || [https://tools.wmflabs.org/pageviews/?project=en.wikipedia.org&platform=all-access&agent=user&start=2019-10-08&end=2019-10-28&pages=Yu_Zhenwu 7,046] || 294 || ... that '''[[Yu Zhenwu]]''' conducted the maiden flight of China's first indigenously designed jet aircraft and, decades later, became [[Commander of the People's Liberation Army Air Force]]? |
| [[Yu Zhenwu]] || || [https://tools.wmflabs.org/pageviews/?project=en.wikipedia.org&platform=all-access&agent=user&start=2019-10-08&end=2019-10-28&pages=Yu_Zhenwu 7,046] || 294 || ... that '''[[Yu Zhenwu]]''' conducted the maiden flight of China's first indigenously designed jet aircraft and, decades later, became [[Commander of the People's Liberation Army Air Force]]? |
||
|- |
|||
| [[Geostationary orbit]] || || [https://tools.wmflabs.org/pageviews/?project=en.wikipedia.org&platform=all-access&agent=user&start=2019-10-08&end=2019-10-28&pages=Geostationary_orbit 7,012] || 292 || ... that satellites in a '''[[geostationary orbit]]''' appear stationary in the sky to a ground observer? |
|||
|- |
|- |
||
| [[Benjamin F. Lewis]] || || [https://tools.wmflabs.org/pageviews/?project=en.wikipedia.org&platform=all-access&agent=user&start=2019-10-04&end=2019-10-24&pages=Benjamin_F._Lewis 6,884] || 286 || ... that the murder of Chicago alderman '''[[Benjamin F. Lewis]]''' was considered unsolvable for having too many suspects? |
| [[Benjamin F. Lewis]] || || [https://tools.wmflabs.org/pageviews/?project=en.wikipedia.org&platform=all-access&agent=user&start=2019-10-04&end=2019-10-24&pages=Benjamin_F._Lewis 6,884] || 286 || ... that the murder of Chicago alderman '''[[Benjamin F. Lewis]]''' was considered unsolvable for having too many suspects? |
Revision as of 02:02, 31 October 2019
This Did you know statistics (DYK STATS) page is an attempt to recognize the DYK entries that have distinguished themselves, either by receiving an unusually high number of page views while being featured on DYK, or by going on to become some of Wikipedia's best content after appearing at DYK. The page illustrates the types of hooks that have been particularly successful in attracting readers. The statistics are manually updated.
For page view counts, there are separate lists for the all-time top hooks and the most effective hooks on a monthly basis. If you have thoughts on the format of this page, or whether it is useful, please post your comments on the Discussion page.
See also:
- DYK Hall of Fame – for outstanding contributions to the DYK project as a whole;
- List of Wikipedians by number of DYKs – for lists of users who have created or nominated the greatest number of DYK articles.
Please do not see this list as a competition, but rather a celebration of some of the most effective DYK hooks.
Please note that hits from outside the DYK section of the main page are also included here. That might include random clicks or direct searches, but also views from other parts of the main page which feature the same article on the same day.
Good and Featured DYKs
Status | Number of articles |
---|---|
Featured article | 2,461 |
Featured list | 895 |
Good article | 8,087 |
These may be slight underestimates (learn more) refresh this table |
Some articles that were featured on DYK have gone on to become some of Wikipedia's featured or good content, in the form of featured articles, featured lists, or good articles. This table records the number of former DYK articles that are currently listed as good or featured content.
Most-viewed DYKs
This section details all the most-viewed DYKs from the beginning of the available data - December 2007. Unfortunately the articles that appeared in the DYK section before that date do not have page view information and cannot be included.
Rules
- Use ErrantX's DYKStats tool which will calculate the statistics for you based upon the date and time it was featured on the Main Page. You can use Wikipedia:Recent additions to find out whether it was posted during AM or PM (UTC); remembering that recent additions lists the time it was removed from the Main Page.
- Historical (pre-2016) statistics are based on Henrik's page view tool at http://stats.grok.se/. For more information on this tool, see http://stats.grok.se/about and stats FAQ. Please note that at some point since December 2013 this tool began compiling days using a 23:00 to 22:59 (UTC) time range to match the range that wikiviewstats uses rather than the 00:00 to 23:59 (UTC) time range that it had previously used. Also, note that these statistics ignore mobile viewers. For queries, go to Henrik's talk page – missing stats are often the result of the tool being down or missing source files. Normally, you should count page views only for the day X when the article was featured. Because of the timing of the stats collection, nearly all hooks which exit the main page around 00:00 UTC get extra DYK views on the next day X+1; in this case views for two consecutive days (X and X+1) should be summed.
- The views are counted and summed for all articles which were bolded (not merely linked) in the hook. If one or more bolded articles were moved while on the main page, add views for the main article(s) and the redirect page(s).
- This page aims to list the views originating from the DYK section of the main page. Some articles draw additional views unrelated to DYK. Those views are removed by subtracting a half sum on the days before and after, that is VX − (VX−1 + VX+1) / 2. Example [1] VX=18,400; VX−1=4,400; VX+1=2,000; total=18,400−(4,400+2,000)/2=15,200.
- Subject to rule 3, any article receiving at least 5,000 views (after subtracting background views) is eligible for listing on the "STATS" page. If you know of an article that has received more than 5,000 views while on DYK, feel free to add it to the list.
- Anyone is free to help by checking page views and listing hooks here that meet the requirements. Help is also welcome reviewing page views for earlier months where data is waiting to be mined (Jan–May 2008).
All-time DYK page view leaders
Lead hooks with at least 25,000 views
- Note: "Views / hour" = "DYK views" divided by the number of hours on the Main page (6, 8, 12 or 24)
Article (DYK date) | Image | DYK views | Views / hour | DYK hook |
---|---|---|---|---|
Infant swimming (Sep. 22, 2014) |
295,306 | 24,609 | ... that babies will instinctively hold their breath underwater (pictured) until the age of six months? | |
Silver Cross Tavern (Jan. 29, 2014) |
192,578 | 16,048 | ... that the Silver Cross Tavern (pictured) is the United Kingdom's only legal brothel? | |
Frank Sinatra (Dec. 12, 2015) 24-hour position in lead slot with 2 images and 2 hooks |
123,052 | 5,127 | ... that after gaining a job as a singing waiter in 1938, Frank Sinatra (pictured) boasted that he would "become so big that no one could ever touch him"? ... that American music critic Robert Christgau called Frank Sinatra (pictured) "the greatest singer of the 20th century"? | |
War Doctor, Night of the Doctor (Nov. 23, 2013) |
36,360 + 52,209 - (12599 + 23723 / 2) + 22,061 + 27,032 - (10,695 + 13070 / 2) = 107,618 | 13,886 | ... that the War Doctor (played by John Hurt, pictured), introduced in "The Night of the Doctor", will be a "dark doctor" who will "bring an ancient battle to its devastating conclusion"? | |
Paul the Octopus (Jul. 11, 2010) |
152,200 – (145,772 / 2) = 79,320 + 18,448 - (9,632 / 2) = 13,632 = 92,952 | 15,492 | ... that Paul the Octopus (pictured) predicts Spain winning the World Cup today, while Mani the Parakeet tips a victory by the Netherlands? | |
Water bottle flipping (Nov. 7, 2016) |
87,202 | 7,266 | ... that flipping water bottles (pictured) has been banned in some U.S. and British schools? | |
HMS Highlander (H44) (Dec. 21, 2011) |
77,346 | 9,668 | ... that the British destroyer HMS Highlander (pictured) escorted Convoy SC 122 through the largest convoy battle of World War II in March 1943 and was unsuccessfully attacked by U-441 and U-608? | |
Anthony Davis (basketball) (Apr. 3, 2012) |
94,410 – (19,472 + 15,379) / 2 = 76,984 |
9,623 | ... that 2012 National Player of the Year Anthony Davis (pictured) was unknown locally and nationally through his junior year of high school basketball? | |
Bestwood Country Park (Sep. 4, 2018) |
74,731 | 3113 | ... that one account has it that King Charles II offered his mistress Nell Gwyn (pictured) "all the land she could ride around before breakfast"—and the next morning she rode out early and encircled what would become Bestwood Park? | |
Clinton Romesha (Feb. 11, 2013) |
35,581 + 47,595 - (10,312 - 1,140/2) = 73,434 | 8,955 | ... that Clinton Romesha (pictured), who today is being awarded the Medal of Honor, joined the United States Army after deciding not to be a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? | |
2016 FA Cup Final (May. 21, 2016) |
55,574 + 17,008 =72,582 | ... that Manchester United seek to match Arsenal's FA Cup winners record with a win in the 2016 FA Cup Final (venue pictured) against Crystal Palace today? | ||
Eternal Silence (sculpture) (Oct. 31, 2011) |
71,800 | 5,983 | ... that according to folklore, people looking into the eyes of Eternal Silence (pictured) will see a vision of their own death? | |
Ivan Castro (soldier) (Dec. 8, 2008) |
71,300 | 5,941 | ... that Captain Ivan Castro is the only blind officer serving in the United States Army Special Forces? | |
Poutine, peameal bacon, Made in Canada, Canadian Comedy Awards, 1st Canadian Comedy Awards (Jul. 1, 2019) |
29,514 + 18,463 + 10,639 + 7,082 + 1,777 − (1,971 + 4,528)/2 = 64,225 | 2,676 | ... that poutine (example pictured) and back bacon on a bun were served while the Beaver was awarded to Made in Canada at the inaugural Canadian Comedy Awards? | |
Leroy Petry (Jul. 12, 2011) |
66,900 - (925 + 5,100) / 2 = 63,900 | 7,987 | ... that Leroy Petry (pictured) is receiving the U.S. Medal of Honor today, marking only the second time that the award has been bestowed upon a living soldier for actions after the end of the Vietnam War? | |
Operation Overlord (Jun. 6, 2014) |
55627 + 13411 - (11519 + 6611) / 2 = 59,973 | 4,916 | ... that Operation Overlord (detail pictured), the Allied invasion of Normandy in World War II, was the largest seaborne invasion in history? | |
Sophia (robot) (Nov. 13, 2017) |
59,972 | 2,499 | ... that Sophia (pictured) is the first robot to become a recognised citizen of a country? | |
Statue of Tara (Dec. 11, 2013) |
41,411 + 12,377 = 53,789 | 4,482 | ... that the Statue of Tara from Sri Lanka (partly pictured) was kept hidden for 30 years in the British Museum because it was considered too erotic? | |
Murder of Jane Britton (Jan. 7, 2019) |
53,494 | 2,229 | ... that the red ochre sprinkled on the body of Jane Britton (pictured) 50 years ago today ultimately turned out to be a red herring in solving her murder? | |
Hallucinogenic fish (Nov. 15, 2011) |
11,483 + 41,786 - (0 + 1,218) / 2 = 52,660 |
6,582 | ... that Sarpa salpa (pictured) is a hallucinogenic fish that was used as a recreational drug during the Roman Empire? | |
Fortress of Mimoyecques (Jun. 29, 2011) |
51,700 | 8,616 | ... that the underground Fortress of Mimoyecques (pictured) was built by Nazi Germany to bombard London with 10 shells a minute using the V-3 supergun? | |
Soo Yeon Lee SPiN (Jun. 30, 2017) |
43,922 + 5,619 = 49,541 | 2,154 | ... that table tennis player and model Soo Yeon Lee (pictured) has coached numerous celebrities and is a brand ambassador for a chain of table tennis bars? | |
Leonard Siffleet (May 8, 2009) |
49,500 | ... that Sergeant Len Siffleet was the subject of a famous photograph (pictured) depicting an execution by the Japanese in World War II? | ||
Tommy Tucker (squirrel) (Nov. 12, 2016) |
47,095 | 5,886 | ... that Tommy Tucker, a male pet squirrel wearing women's clothes (pictured), became famous during World War II, selling war bonds and entertaining children? | |
Śmigus-Dyngus (Apr. 1, 2013) |
46,706 | 3,892 | ... that Polish girls (pictured) are getting wet and spanked today, but will have their revenge tomorrow? | |
Giovanni de Ventura plague doctor beak doctor costume plague doctor contract (Oct. 31, 2010) |
7,600 + 1,600 + 6,400 + 1, 700 + 17,800 + 5,000 + 3,700 + 865 = 44, 665 |
... that Giovanni de Ventura, a plague doctor who may have worn a beak doctor costume (pictured), was restricted by a covenant to treat only infectious patients? | ||
Edward Windsor, Lord Downpatrick (Apr. 30, 2019) |
44,648 | 1,860 | ... that the fashion designer Edward Windsor, Lord Downpatrick (pictured) is the closest relative of Queen Elizabeth II who cannot succeed to the British throne because of conversion to Catholicism? | |
Longest recorded sniper kills (May 8, 2010) |
44,600 | ... that the longest recorded sniper kill is from 2,475 m (8,120 ft) using a L115A3 Long Range Rifle (pictured)? | ||
Battle for Castle Itter (Jul. 26, 2013) |
42,120 | ... that what has been called the strangest battle of World War II was fought at a medieval castle (pictured), and was the only battle of the war in which American and German soldiers fought as allies? | ||
MagiCans (Apr, 22, 2013) |
38,970 + 1,790 = 40,660 (article moved) |
5,083 | ... that defects in Coca-Cola's MagiCans (pictured) led a child to mistakenly drink foul-tasting liquid used to replace actual cola? | |
Bacon Explosion (Feb. 6, 2009) |
40,500 | ... that the 5,000-calorie Bacon Explosion (pictured) was created in response to a Twitter challenge to develop "the ultimate bacon recipe"? | ||
Ronald J. Shurer (Oct. 1, 2018) |
40,011 | 1,667 | ... that US Army combat medic Ronald J. Shurer's (pictured) Silver Star commendation for service in Afghanistan is being upgraded to a Medal of Honor today? | |
Tammie Jo Shults, Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 (Jul. 6, 2018) |
26,176 + 13,505 = 39,681 | 1,653 | ... that Tammie Jo Shults (pictured), captain of Southwest Airlines Flight 1380, was one of the first female fighter pilots in the US Navy? | |
Saxbe fix (Nov. 29, 2008) |
39,600 | ... that Hillary Rodham Clinton (pictured) may be ineligible for appointment as United States Secretary of State by Barack Obama unless a Saxbe fix can be worked out? | ||
Slow loris (Mar. 30, 2011) |
39,200 | ... that the slow lorises that are illegally caught and traded as exotic pets have their front teeth cut out (pictured) due to fear of their toxic bite? | ||
Kemna concentration camp (Jan. 20, 2012) |
38,567 | 4,820 | ... that torture at Kemna concentration camp (memorial pictured), one of the first Nazi concentration camps, was so brutal that the Nazis held hearings on it? | |
KA2N Gorgon IIA CTV-N-2 Gorgon IIC (Jan. 8, 2018) |
26,948 + 11,536 = 38,484 | 1,603 | ...that the United States Navy placed orders for the Gorgon IIA (pictured) and Gorgon IIC missiles with the Singer Manufacturing Company, better known for its sewing machines? | |
Soviet destroyer Sposobny (1970) (Jan. 14, 2019) |
38,125 | 1,588 | ... that the Soviet destroyer Sposobny (pictured) was designed to survive a nuclear explosion? | |
List of Mountain Bothies Association bothies (May 23, 2017) |
37,379 | 1,557 | ... that visitors can stay overnight free of charge in any of over ninety bothies (Corrour Bothy pictured), but must bring their own fuel in order to watch "bothy TV"? | |
Catherine Lynch (Mar. 11, 2018) |
37,237 | 1,551 | ... that at the inquest into the death of Catherine Lynch (pictured), the presiding coroner described her as "one of a class who were a nuisance to themselves, their husbands and everybody else"? | |
Michael Collins (astronaut) (Jul. 21, 2019) |
112,192 - (115,723 + 34,037)/2 = 37,312 | 1,554 | ... that Michael Collins (pictured), the command module pilot for Apollo 11, was the first person to perform two spacewalks in a single mission? | |
Pleuni Touw De Stille Kracht (television series) (Sep. 18, 2012) |
24,877 + 11,928 = 36,805 |
4,600 | ... that Pleuni Touw (pictured) had the first nude scene in Dutch television on 1974's The Hidden Force? | |
Laura Kamhuber (Apr. 9, 2018) |
36,131 | 1,505 | ... that Laura Kamhuber's (pictured) rendition of "I Will Always Love You" at The Voice Kids Germany is the most-watched YouTube video by an Austrian artist? | |
Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan (Aug. 15, 2018) |
36,118 | 1,504 | ... that the painting Ivan the Terrible and His Son Ivan has been attacked and damaged twice (damage pictured)? | |
Tett turret (Oct. 14, 2010) |
35,100 | ... that the only exit from a Tett turret (pictured) could expose a soldier trying to leave the fortification to direct fire from the enemy? | ||
Colossus of Ostermunzel (Mar. 25, 2016) |
34,971 | 2,976 | ... that the Colossus of Ostermunzel (pictured) is significantly lighter than originally estimated? | |
Barn the Spoon (May 24, 2017) |
34,824 | 1,451 | ... that it takes Barn the Spoon (pictured) between twenty minutes and two hours to carve a spoon out of green wood? | |
Elly Mayday (March 28, 2019) |
34,666 | 1,562 | .... that when Elly Mayday (pictured) was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, she not only continued to model, but appeared in pictorials with a bald head from chemotherapy and surgery scars? | |
Tina Strobos (Jul. 12, 2018) |
30,903 + 3,213 = 34,116 | 1,421 | ... that Dutch psychiatrist Tina Strobos (pictured), who rescued over 100 Jewish refugees during World War II, said that her grandmother was the only person she knew who scared the Gestapo? | |
Andaman Sea Khao Phing Kan (Sep. 29, 2010) |
6,100 + 27,900 = 34,000 | ... that there is a James Bond Island (pictured) in the Andaman Sea? | ||
Baba Anujka (Sep. 19, 2019) |
33,721 | 2,810 | ... that Serbian poisoner Baba Anujka (pictured), aged over 90 at the time of her trial, was sentenced to 15 years' hard labor? | |
General George Washington Resigning His Commission, George Washington's resignation as commander-in-chief (Feb. 22, 2018) |
10,546 + 22,649 = 33,195 | 1,383 | ... that John Trumbull, the painter of General George Washington Resigning His Commission (pictured), considered Washington's resignation "one of the highest moral lessons ever given to the world"? | |
Rene Strange (Jul. 20, 2018) |
32,967 | 1,373 | ... that the puppets of Rene Strange (pictured) included Annie Pride of the Rockies, Mr Bertram, and Samoa the Hula Hula Girl? | |
Wang Danfeng (May 16, 2018) |
32,488 | 1,354 | ... that "legendary" Chinese actress Wang Danfeng (pictured) was invited to attend the inauguration of US President Ronald Reagan? | |
Goat Canyon Trestle (Mar. 15, 2018) |
32,298 | ... that the Goat Canyon Trestle (pictured) is the world's largest curved wooden trestle? | ||
Lena Sundström (Oct. 3, 2016) |
32,283 | ... that Swedish journalist Lena Sundström (pictured) was a foundling? | ||
Antonija Mišura (Aug. 23, 2012) |
32,282 | 4,035 | ... that according to Bleacher Report, Antonija Mišura (pictured) was the most beautiful female competitor at the 2012 Olympics? | |
United States Zouave Cadets (Jan. 11, 2019) |
32,243 | 1,343 | ... that The New York Times stated that, with one exception, the United States Zouave Cadets (pictured) were "all young men of extraordinary muscular power"? | |
1907 Tiflis bank robbery (Dec. 20, 2010) |
32,200 | ... that a 1907 stagecoach robbery organized by Vladimir Lenin (pictured) and Joseph Stalin killed an estimated 40 people and netted approximately 250,000 rubles (over $3 million in current USD)? | ||
Spragg Bag (Dec. 21, 2010) |
32,200 | ... that a large waterbag (pictured) can bring water to California and, according to its inventor, peace to the Middle East? | ||
Paper car wheel (Sep. 6, 2018) |
31,839 | 1,326 | ... that paper wheels (pictured) provided a quiet and smooth ride in Pullman dining and sleeping cars? | |
Operation Strength (Mar. 18, 2016) |
31,726 | 2,644 | ... that during Operation Strength, a 15,000 lb (6.8 T) bomb (example of detonation pictured) served as a diversion to a diversion? | |
Daniel Lambert (Jul. 6, 2010) |
31,400 | ... that English gaol keeper and animal breeder Daniel Lambert (pictured) weighed 52 stone 11 lb (739 lb; 335 kg)? | ||
Brittany CoxXx (Jan. 21, 2011) |
31,400 | ... that Borat Sagdiyev's son, who appeared in photos in the movie Borat, was actually trans woman and porn star Brittany CoxXx (pictured)? | ||
Candy desk (Apr. 1, 2011 - April Fools Day) |
32,100 | 4,012 | ... that there is a desk full of candy (pictured) on the floor of the US Senate? | |
Walter Koch (Fallschirmjäger) (Mar. 2, 2011) |
31,200 | ... that German paratrooper Walter Koch (pictured) acted against the Commando Order and saved John Dutton Frost's British paratroopers from execution? | ||
Fannie Lou Hamer (February 27, 2018) |
31,109 | ... that African-American civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer (pictured) was brutally beaten on the orders of police in Mississippi for standing up against racial segregation? | ||
Stannard Rock Light (Jun. 16, 2009) |
31,000 | ... that the Stannard Rock Light (pictured), known as the "Loneliest Place in the World", is the furthest lighthouse from land and described as one of the top ten engineering feats in the United States? | ||
Catherine Zeta-Jones (Apr. 21, 2016) |
35,555-(4318+4805)/2 = 30,994 | 2,582 | ... that Catherine Zeta-Jones' (pictured) wedding ceremony cost an estimated £1.5 million? | |
Nazi-Soviet military parade in Brest-Litovsk (Sep. 17, 2009) |
30,900 | ... that a joint Nazi-Soviet military parade in Brest-Litovsk (pictured) was held on September 22, 1939, to display the power of the newly formed Soviet-Nazi pact to the whole world? | ||
Brad Stevens (Apr. 5, 2010) |
30,800 | 5,133 | ... that Butler men's basketball head coach Brad Stevens (pictured) has won 89 games in his first three years, exceeding the previous NCAA record by 8 games? | |
Airplane Coaster (Aug. 4, 2017) |
30,752 | 1,281 | ... that numerous writers have called the Airplane Coaster (pictured) the greatest roller coaster ever built? | |
Sea of Japan Kamome Island (Oct. 18, 2010) |
5,000 + 25,700 = 30,700 | ... that according to a legend, the Heishi rock (pictured) represents the God of the Sea of Japan? | ||
Love dart (Oct. 9, 2008) |
30,700 | ... that some hermaphrodite snails and slugs pierce each other with love darts (pictured) during mating? | ||
Disappearance of Rebecca Coriam (Mar. 22, 2012) |
30,657 | 3,832 | ... that the disappearance of Rebecca Coriam from the Disney Wonder (pictured) one year ago today was the first such incident in the history of Disney Cruise Line? | |
Normandy landings (Jul. 21, 2014) |
30,477 | 2,540 | ... that a key target for the Normandy landings, Caen (pictured), was not captured by the Allies until 21 July 1944? | |
Gleno Dam (Mar. 23, 2011) |
30,400 | ... that, in 1923, the Gleno Dam (pictured) in Italy failed shortly after it was completed and its flooding killed at least 356 people? | ||
Etruscan shrew (Oct. 25, 2010) |
30,400 | ... that the Etruscan shrew (pictured on a human thumb) is the smallest known mammal by weight? | ||
Ernest R. Kouma (Aug. 10, 2011) |
30,200 | ... that US Army Master Sergeant Ernest R. Kouma was awarded the Medal of Honor (pictured) in the Korean War for singlehandedly killing approximately 250 North Korean troops? | ||
Hungry Tree (Oct. 3, 2018) |
30,126 | 1,255 | ... that the Hungry Tree in Dublin is "eating" a park bench (pictured)? | |
Swimming Reindeer (Aug. 18, 2010) |
30,000 | ... that the Swimming Reindeer (pictured), a 13,000-year-old Ice Age sculpture, was originally thought to be two separate reindeer sculptures until Henri Breuil realised they fitted together? | ||
David B. Bleak (Mar. 23, 2012) |
29,847 | 3,730 | ... that combat medic David B. Bleak (pictured) was awarded the Medal of Honor in the Korean War after killing five Chinese soldiers, four using only his hands? | |
Marching fire (Dec. 18, 2011) |
29,800 | 3,725 | ... that General George S. Patton (pictured) praised the tactic of marching fire during World War II? | |
Jim Delligatti (Dec. 30, 2016) |
29,661 | 1,236 | ... that Jim Delligatti created the Big Mac (pictured)? | |
West Loch Disaster (Apr. 23, 2010) |
29,500 | ... that the hulk of LST-480 (pictured) is the only remaining evidence of the West Loch Disaster, the second tragedy to befall Pearl Harbor during World War II? | ||
Janice Rand (May 20, 2015) |
29,491 | ... that Star Trek producer Bob Justman said you could hit Janice Rand's (pictured) hair with a sledgehammer and not leave a dent? | ||
Giant huntsman spider (Dec. 19, 2008) |
29,300 | 4,883 | ... that with a leg-span of 30 centimetres (12 inches), the giant huntsman (pictured) is one of the world's largest spiders? | |
Shu Xiuwen (Jan. 3, 2018) |
29,252 | 1,218 | ... that Shu Xiuwen (pictured) became an escort dancing girl after her father tried to sell her to repay debts, but later supported him when she became a movie star? | |
Neel Kashkari (Oct. 13, 2008) |
29,200 | ... that Neel Kashkari (pictured), six years after completing his MBA, was put in charge of the $700 billion U.S. Government bailout of financial institutions? | ||
Valonia ventricosa (Sep. 7, 2010) |
29,100 | ... that "sailors' eyeballs" (pictured) is one of the largest single-celled organisms? | ||
Filibus (Dec. 28, 2016) |
28,982 | 1,208 | ... that Filibus (pictured), a fictional sky pirate, has been called one of the first lesbian characters in cinema? | |
Podoconiosis (Feb. 20, 2013) |
28,976 + 3,352 = 32,328 | 4,041 | ... that an estimated four million people worldwide suffer from podoconiosis? | |
Sundial cannon | 14938+11456+2377 = 28,771 | 2,131 | ... that sundial cannons (example pictured) were triggered by the sun to fire at noon? | |
Wreck of the RMS Titanic (Mar. 15, 2012) |
28,526 | 3,565 | ... that proposals to raise the wreck of the RMS Titanic (pictured) have included filling it with ping-pong balls, injecting it with 180,000 tons of Vaseline or turning it into an iceberg? | |
Bradley Cooper (Sep. 7, 2016) |
28,516 | 1,188 | ... that Bradley Cooper (pictured) is the tenth man to be nominated for an Academy Award for acting in three consecutive years? | |
Fighting Irish (Family Guy) (May 29, 2015) |
8,704 + 19,779 = 28,483 | 2,373 | ... that Liam Neeson (pictured) agreed to say any line that the writers of the Family Guy episode "Fighting Irish" wrote – except one? | |
Waw an Namus (Oct. 29, 2018) |
28,313 | 1,178 | ... that the volcanic Oasis of Mosquitoes in the Sahara has multicoloured lakes (example pictured) and can be seen from space? | |
Hussein of Jordan (Apr. 16, 2018) |
28,275 | 1,178 | ... that Hussein (pictured) started his 46-year reign as King of Jordan in 1952 when he was a 17-year-old schoolboy? | |
Raindrop cake (Sep. 5, 2018) |
28,185 | 1,178 | ... that raindrop cake (pictured) is a dessert made of water and agar, and has practically no calories? | |
Sofia Richie (Jul. 13, 2017) |
28,100 | 2,342 | ... that model Sofia Richie (pictured) played soccer until she broke her hip in a Segway accident? | |
Rollstone Boulder (Jan. 4, 2013) |
28,004 | 2,334 | ... that in order to save the Rollstone Boulder (pictured) from being demolished, it was blown up? | |
Flag of Weihaiwei (May 10, 2017) |
28,002 + 4,418 = 32,420 | 1,351 | ... that the flag of Weihaiwei (pictured) was redesigned to include Mandarin ducks, as it was felt inappropriate to have a Chinese imperial dragon on a British flag? | |
Nevertheless, she persisted (May 2, 2017) |
27,948 | 1,165 | ... that after Mitch McConnell said, "Nevertheless, she persisted" in reference to Elizabeth Warren's silencing during a U.S. Senate debate, more than 100 women in Minneapolis got tattoos (example pictured) of that meme? | |
Clive Mantle (Apr. 1, 2013) |
24,963 + 2,905 = 27,868 | 3,484 | ... that English actor Clive Mantle (portrait pictured) beat up Clint Eastwood? | |
Lazarus syndrome (Nov. 5, 2008) |
27,800 | ... that the Lazarus syndrome is named after Lazarus of Bethany (pictured), who the Bible says was raised from the dead by Jesus? | ||
Elizabeth L. Gardner (Jul. 12, 2019) |
27,656 | 1152 | ... that Elizabeth L. Gardner served as a WASP during World War II and was the subject of a well-known photo (pictured)? | |
Omid Tahvili (May 6, 2008) |
27,500 | ... that in April 2008, Forbes listed Omid Tahvili (pictured) as one of the world's ten most wanted fugitives? | ||
TiME (spacecraft) (Nov. 10, 2009) |
27,400 | ... that TiME (artist's rendering pictured) is a boat that is not designed to sail on any water on this planet? | ||
Aircraft camouflage (Nov. 4, 2009) |
27,400 | ... that experiments with modern aircraft camouflage (pictured) have used panels that emit light? | ||
Imperial German plans for the invasion of the United States (Dec. 31, 2012) |
27,118 | 2,260 | ... that Kaiser Wilhelm II (pictured) ordered plans drawn up for Germany to invade two US cities: Boston and New York? | |
Bedding ceremony (Jul. 25, 2017) |
27,095 | 2,258 | ... that the bedding ceremony (pictured) symbolised the involvement of family, friends, and neighbours in the newlyweds' sexual intimacy, but also had legal importance in parts of Western Europe? | |
Inexhaustible bottle (Feb. 18, 2014) |
27,049 | 3,381 | … that the trick to the inexhaustible bottle (illustrated) was so widely known that it became part of a common hydrostatics demonstration for physics students? | |
Chrysler Turbine Car (Feb. 8, 2018) |
27,991 – (248 + 1,728) / 2 = 27,003 |
1,125 | ... that the Chrysler Turbine Car (pictured) could burn a variety of unusual fuels, ranging from furnace, peanut, and soybean oils to tequila? | |
Gömböc (Oct. 9, 2009) |
27,000 | ... that the discovery of geometrical body Gömböc (pictured) in 2006 helped understanding the body shape of turtles? | ||
Wait for me, Daddy (Oct. 1, 2010) |
26,900 | ... that 70 years ago on October 1, 1940, little "Whitey" Bernard was photographed running after his father (pictured) who was marching to war? | ||
Fabiana Rosales (Apr. 22, 2019) |
26,823 | 1,117 | ... that Venezuelan journalist Fabiana Rosales (pictured) has assumed the role of international ambassador, soliciting support for her husband's opposition party, towards resolving the crisis in Venezuela? | |
Japanese aircraft carrier Amagi (Nov. 6, 2011) |
26,708 | 2,258 | ... that the Japanese aircraft carrier Amagi (wreck pictured) capsized on 29 July 1945 as a result of cumulative damage inflicted by American airstrikes on 24 and 28 July? | |
Termitaradus mitnicki (Apr. 1, 2010 – April Fool's Day) |
26,600 | ... that researchers have identified the pictured life form which no longer lives on this planet? | ||
Akutan Zero (Dec. 7, 2008) |
26,600 | 2,216 | ... that the U.S. devised tactics to defeat Japan's Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter plane from the 1942 capture of an intact example dubbed the Akutan Zero (pictured)? | |
Chicken fried bacon (Feb. 17, 2009) |
26,500 | ... that the recipe for chicken fried bacon (pictured) was developed in the small town of Snook, Texas, at Sodolak's Original Country Inn? | ||
Warsaw Ghetto boy (Nov. 1, 2018) |
26,455 | 1,102 | ... that this photograph (pictured) was taken to glorify the SS men who suppressed the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, but helped convict them of murder? | |
Chang and Eng Bunker (Aug. 6, 2018) |
27,567 - (1,074 + 1,169)/2 = 26,446 | 1,101 | ... that the conjoined liver of the Siamese twins Chang and Eng Bunker (pictured) is on display at the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia? | |
Air well (condenser) (May 1, 2009) |
26,301 | ... that an air well (pictured) collects water by promoting the condensation of moisture from air? | ||
Door to Hell (Nov. 1, 2012) |
26,298 | 3,287 | ... that the Door to Hell (pictured) has been blazing since 1971? | |
Earth's shadow (Oct. 26, 2010) |
26,200 | ... that the Earth's shadow (pictured) can be observed during twilight hours? | ||
Elephant of the Bastille (Aug. 29, 2011) |
26,256 | ... that a giant elephant (engraving pictured) in Paris was protected by a man living in one of its legs? | ||
Girl with Peaches (Feb. 1, 2017) |
24,550 + 1,661 = 26,211 | 2,184 | ... that the girl with peaches (pictured) married the future chief prosecutor of the Most Holy Synod? | |
Female urinal (Mar. 18, 2018) |
25,899 | 1,126 | ... that female urinals available today (example pictured) are typically used in a "skiing" position? | |
Zofia Posmysz (Mar. 17, 2018) |
25,808 | 1,075 | ... that Zofia Posmysz (pictured), Auschwitz inmate No. 7566, wrote an audio play on her memories, which became the basis for her 1962 novel Passenger, a 1963 film, and a 1968 opera? | |
PL-01 (Jan. 3, 2014) |
25,748 | ... that the PL-01 (pictured) is a tank designed in Poland? | ||
Cat Daddy (May 29, 2012) |
25,686 | 3,211 | ... that a bikini-clad rendition of the "Cat Daddy" dance by the reigning Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover model Kate Upton (pictured) was temporarily banned from YouTube? | |
Scowle (Oct. 6, 2008) |
25,620 | 3,203 | ... that the ancient opencast iron ore workings known as scowles (pictured) in the Forest of Dean, England, are believed to have been an inspiration for settings in J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings? | |
Gerp's mouse lemur (Jan. 18, 2012) |
25,495 | 3,186 | ... that Gerp's mouse lemur is a newly discovered mouse lemur species from Madagascar, and is only known from an area smaller than the size of Puerto Rico? | |
Hotpants (May 9, 2017) |
25,491 | 1,062 | ... that hotpants (example pictured) were originally short shorts made from materials such as velvet, silk, and fur? | |
Roger B. Chaffee (Jul. 17, 2019) |
28,471 - (2,896 + 3,156)/2 = 25,445 | 1,060 | ... that when Roger B. Chaffee (pictured) was selected for Apollo 1, he was the youngest American astronaut to earn a NASA mission assignment? | |
Westinghouse Time Capsules (Jan. 8, 2008) |
25,252 | 3,166 | ... that the Westinghouse Time Capsules (pictured) of the 1939 New York World's Fair and the 1964 New York World's Fair were made of special metal alloys to resist corrosion for 5000 years, the time span of all previous recorded human history? | |
Unexpected John Cena (Apr. 1, 2016 - April Fools Day) |
25,226 | 3,153 | ... that somebody stole the show in Ghostbusters, Breaking Bad, and SpongeBob SquarePants, and his name is—JOHN CENAAA!!! (pictured) | |
Taylor Swift (Aug 23, 2016) |
25,145 | 2,095 | ... that Taylor Swift (pictured) is the first act to have three albums with opening week sales of one million copies in the US? | |
Yogo sapphire (Nov. 23, 2011) |
25,141 | 2,095 | ...that Yogo sapphires (pictured) are rarer than diamonds and are found only in Yogo Gulch, Montana? | |
Camilla Nylund (Mar. 15, 2018) |
25,129 | 1,047 | ... that Camilla Nylund (pictured) appeared as the Countess in Capriccio by Richard Strauss at the Frankfurt Opera, staged by Brigitte Fassbaender, who set the opera in Occupied France? | |
Carmenelectra (Feb. 3, 2013) |
Picture deleted | 25,090 | 3,136 | ... that Carmenelectra was named after the model (pictured) because both have "splendid" bodies? |
Lord's honours boards (Jan. 16, 2013) |
25,034 | 3,129 | ... that Australia's Warren Bardsley and Charles Kellaway were only listed on the Lord's Honours Boards (pictured) 98 years after they had fulfilled the requirements, due to the lack of a neutral board? |
Non-lead hooks with at least 15,000 views
Articles in the lead slot on DYK tend to get the most page views. In order to recognize outstanding hooks which do not appear in the lead slot, this chart displays non-lead article hooks that have received at least 15,000 page views.
- Note: "Views / hour" = "DYK views" divided by the number of hours on the Main Page (6, 8, 12 or 24)
Article (DYK date) | DYK views | Views / hour | DYK hook |
---|---|---|---|
Death of Nicole van den Hurk (Aug. 9, 2017) |
577,636 + 55,793 = 633,429 | 26,393 | ... that following the death of Nicole van den Hurk, her stepbrother falsely confessed to killing her to get her body exhumed for DNA testing? |
Disappearance of Gary Mathias (Feb. 25, 2018) |
268,739 + 45,177 = 313,916 | 13,079 | ... that 40 years ago, Gary Mathias disappeared after leaving a working automobile, to walk into California's Plumas National Forest without winter clothing or food, along with four men later found dead? |
Bill Brown (rancher) (Jun. 19, 2018) |
121,886 + 62,806 = 184,692 | 7,695 | ... that Oregon rancher Bill Brown, known as the "Horse King of the West", often wrote checks on newspaper margins and soup can labels—which bankers would cash without question? |
Blood Moon Prophecy + April 2014 lunar eclipse (Apr. 15, 2014) |
32,393 + 115,399 = 147,792 | 24,632 | ... that, according to the Blood Moon Prophecy, tonight's eclipse could be a sign that the end time is near? |
Comparative illusion (Dec. 17, 2018) |
127,304 | 10,609 | ... that Escher sentences like "More people have been to Russia than I have" may initially be perceived as meaningful despite being ungrammatical nonsense? |
Tiffany Trump (Jul. 22, 2016) |
229,227 – (168,559 + 55,795)/2 = 117,050 | 9,754 | ...... that Tiffany Trump has been called part of the "Snap Pack" for her voluminous postings to Instagram? |
United States v. Article Consisting of 50,000 Cardboard Boxes More or Less, Each Containing One Pair of Clacker Balls (Apr. 1, 2014) |
112,300 | ... that the United States once sued 50,000 cardboard boxes and clacker balls? | |
Euthanasia Coaster (May 3, 2011) |
86,300 | 14,383 | ... that the concept for the Euthanasia Coaster, a roller coaster designed to kill its riders, caused concern among anti-euthanasia groups when it went on display? |
Philip Hindes (Aug. 2, 2012) |
59,004 + 20,518 = 79,522 | 7,376 | ... that track cyclist Philip Hindes was born in Germany and did not take up cycling until 2008, but has been selected to represent Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics? |
The Negro Motorist Green Book (Aug. 10, 2013) |
36,617 + 29,882 = 66,439 | 3,051 | ... that The Negro Motorist Green Book provided advice on how African-American drivers could avoid dangers and discrimination on the road in Jim Crow-era America? |
Compton–Belkovich Thorium Anomaly (May 13, 2012) |
59,267 | 7,409 | ...that the Compton–Belkovich Thorium Anomaly is a thorium-rich hotspot on the back of the moon? |
Mining in North Korea (May 16, 2013) |
2,969 + 49,136 - 379 = 51,726 | 6,347 | ... that while North Korea is abundant in natural resources worth trillions of dollars, most of these often cannot be mined due to the acute shortage of electricity in the country? |
David González (skateboarder) (Jan. 5, 2012) |
51,032 | 4,253 | ... that skateboarder David González was named Thrasher magazine's 2012 "Skater of the Year"? |
Bodybuilding in China (Apr. 12, 2016) |
27,554 + 23,332 = 50,886 | ... that bodybuilding in China was once banned? | |
New Jersey Forest Fire Service (Sep. 4, 2015) |
46,406 | 3,867 | ... that a New Jersey Forest Fire Service firewarden can summon any person aged 18 to 50 to assist in putting out wildfires—and it's against the law to refuse? |
Occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (Jan. 28, 2016) |
65,267 - (2,726 + 38,712)/2 = 44,548 | 3,712 | ... that armed groups have occupied the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge since January 2, 2016? |
Moritz Wagner (basketball) (Jun. 22, 2018) |
43,692 | 1,820 | ... that Moritz Wagner was the first player to post 20 points and 15 rebounds in a NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament semifinal in over 30 years? |
R v Registrar General ex parte Segerdal (Jan. 15, 2013) |
20,800 + 21,832 = 42,632 | 5,329 | ... that in 1970, the English Court of Appeal found that Scientology does not engage in religious worship? |
Batman Province (Apr. 1, 2011) |
38,300 | 4,787 | ... that Batman is half female? |
Todd Palin (Sep. 4, 2008) |
37,900 | 6,316 | ... that Alaska's First Gentleman Todd Palin won the world's longest snowmobile race four times? |
Super Hornio Brothers (Apr. 2, 2012) |
37,093 | 4,636 | ... that Nintendo owns the rights to a pornographic film? |
Disappearance of Joan Risch (Oct. 24, 2016) |
37,080 | 1,545 | ... that after Joan Risch's apparent abduction from her home 55 years ago today, it was discovered she had borrowed books on missing-person cases from the local library? |
Baron Kilkeel (May 21, 2018) |
35,693 | ... that the title Baron Kilkeel was given to Prince Harry as a gift from Queen Elizabeth II on his wedding day? | |
Sairat (Apr. 29, 2016) |
33,393 | 4,174 | ... that Sairat, which is set to be released today, is the first Indian film to include a symphonic score recorded in Hollywood? |
No Bra Day (Oct. 13, 2018) |
33,200 | 1,383 | ... that today is No Bra Day, on which women are encouraged to go braless to promote breast cancer awareness and gender equality? |
Hello (Adele song) (Oct. 27, 2015) |
32,613 | 2,717 | ... that the music video for Adele's song "Hello" was the first to be filmed using IMAX cameras? |
Prince Hubertus of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (pilot) (Mar. 21, 2019) |
31,511 | 2,626 | ... that a gay former British prince died fighting on the side of Nazi Germany despite loathing Hitler and the Nazi Party? |
Sex for Breakfast (Apr. 1, 2013) |
27,802 + 3,448 = 31,250 | 3,906 | ... that Christina Aguilera had sex for breakfast with slow jam and honey drip? |
Shooting Star (Glee) (Apr. 14, 2013) |
46,208 - (20,646 + 10,162)/2 = 30,804 | 3,851 | ... that "Shooting Star", the eighteenth episode of the fourth season of Glee, has been characterized as "unsettling" and "harrowing" by pre-broadcast reviewers? |
Until Dawn (Sep. 11, 2015) |
29,958 | 2,497 | ... that Until Dawn, a survival horror video game, has a game mechanic called "butterfly effect"? |
Labia minor (Apr. 1, 2011) |
27,700 | 3,462 | ... that a typical Labia minor is chocolate brown, up to 7 mm long, and is equipped with pincers? |
Malus baccata (Apr. 1, 2011) |
26,100 | 3,262 | ... that 14-metre (46 ft) tall Siberian crabs are being used in experimental breeding programs? |
The Great Train Robbery (TV series) (Dec. 18, 2011) |
12,346 + 13,581 = 25,927 | 2,160 | ... that the BBC filmed The Great Train Robbery in Yorkshire, as it was the "most cost-effective and realistic alternative" to filming in 1960s England? |
2019 FA Cup Final (May 18, 2019) |
25,906 | ... that Watford's appearance in today's FA Cup Final is their first since 1984? | |
John's Phone (Sep. 27, 2011) |
25,500 | 2,125 | ... that John's Phone has been dubbed "the world's simplest phone"? |
Harry Powers (Oct. 31, 2011) |
25,500 | 2,125 | ... that Harry Powers said that watching his victims die was more fun than a brothel? |
Natalia Poklonskaya (Jun. 6, 2014) |
25,586 - (1,220+945)/2 = 24,501 | 2,042 | ... that the Prosecutor General of Crimea, Natalia Poklonskaya, is barred from entering European Union countries? |
Holden's Lightning flight (Apr. 23, 2019) |
24,741 | 1,030 | ... that an engineer inadvertently took off in an English Electric Lightning fighter jet after engaging the afterburner by mistake? |
La Pelegrina pearl (Apr. 1, 2011) |
24,500 | 3,062 | ... that a wanderer survived both the French Revolution of 1789–99 and the Russian Revolution 127 years later? |
Loring Air Force Base Alert crew Mole hole Christmas tree (aviation) Loring Air Force Base Alert Area Elephant walk (aviation) Minimum Interval Takeoff (Nov. 11, 2012) |
4,153 + 1,571 + 5,169 + 3,942 + 750 + 5,779 + 3,133 = 24,497 | 2,661 | ... that Loring AFB alert crews would scramble from a mole hole, run to awaiting jets on a christmas tree (both within the alert area), and perform an elephant walk and a MITO, all within fifteen minutes? |
Eleanor Butler (Jul. 1, 2015) |
16,355 + 8,050 = 24,405 | 2,033 | ... that in 1681, a white woman married an African slave in colonial Maryland, even though she knew that doing so would condemn her to a life of slavery? |
Disappearance of Tiffany Whitton (Sep. 13, 2018) |
24,167 | 1,009 | ... that five years ago today, Tiffany Whitton left her handbag and flip-flops behind when she ran out of a Walmart at 2 a.m., and has not been seen since? |
Elvis' Greatest Shit (Apr. 1, 2013) |
23,993 | 2,999 | ... that Elvis' greatest shit was dropped in 1982? |
2017 FA Cup Final (27 May 2017) |
35,415 - (9825 + 13,350)/2 = 23,828] | 993 | ... that Arsenal are looking to win a record 13th FA Cup at the FA Cup Final against Chelsea today? |
Red or Black? (Jul. 11, 2011) |
23,300 | 2,912 | ... that Simon Cowell conceived the idea for Red or Black?, the most expensive game show ever made? |
Battle of Palmdale (Mar. 25, 2015) |
23,246 | 1,937 | ... that missiles from USAF fighter planes started dozens of fires in the Battle of Palmdale? |
Cardboard bicycle (Feb. 4, 2013) |
23,245 | 2,906 | ... that a cardboard bicycle has been made that weighs just 20 pounds (9.1 kg) and can support up to 220 kilograms (490 lb)? |
Vincent Mroz (Dec. 3, 2012) |
20,846 + 2,264 = 23,110 | 2,889 | ... that United States Secret Service agent Vincent Mroz shot an attempted presidential assassin in the "biggest gunfight in Secret Service history"? |
Devil's Cigarette Lighter (May 2, 2013) |
20,923 + 2,126 = 23,049 | 2,881 | ... that John Glenn saw the Devil's Cigarette Lighter from orbit? |
Operation London Bridge (Mar. 29, 2017) |
22,837 | 952 | ... that use of the code phrase "London Bridge is down" will signal the death of Queen Elizabeth II? |
Lyle Stevik (Mar. 5, 2015) |
17,285 + 5,210 = 22,495 | 1,874 | ... that Lyle Stevik's true identity has never been discovered? |
Disappearance of Brian Shaffer (Mar. 31, 2016) |
22,412 | 1,868 | ... that ten years ago today, Brian Shaffer walked into a bar in Columbus, Ohio, and hasn't been seen since? |
Angel Island mouse (Oct. 18, 2011) |
22,400 | 1,866 | ... that the entire population of Angel Island mice on the island of Estanque in the Gulf of California may have been killed by a single domestic cat in a period of just two years? |
Fowler's Ghost (Oct. 31, 2011) |
22,400 | 1,866 | ... that Fowler's Ghost was first seen on the London Metropolitan Railway in 1861, nearly exploded and was never seen again after 1895? |
People sniffer (Oct. 30, 2008) |
22,000 | ... that during the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong hung buckets of mud with urine in trees to thwart American people sniffers? | |
Andrew Báthory (Apr. 5, 2017) |
21,949 | 915 | ... that the severed head of Andrew Báthory, Prince of Transylvania, was sewn back on? |
Razing of Friesoythe (Apr. 4, 2018) |
21,843 | 910 | ... that on 14 April 1945, the German town of Friesoythe was deliberately burnt down by the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division and the ruins bulldozed on the orders of its commander? |
Segregated prom (Apr. 3, 2010) |
21,800 | ... that despite criticism, some high schools in the United States still hold separate segregated proms for black and white students? | |
Bunkers in Albania (Jan. 29, 2012) |
21,784 | 2,723 | ... that over 700,000 bunkers were built in Communist-era Albania, most of which now have little use other than as a place to lose one's virginity? |
Brilliant Pebbles (Jan. 5, 2018) |
21,772 | 907 | ... that after dismissing the basic concept as "outlandish", Edward Teller later supported Brilliant Pebbles as a way to shoot down Soviet ICBMs? |
Fugging (Apr. 1, 2014) |
21,722 | ... that Fucking was renamed Fugging for an unknown reason? | |
Muria people premarital sex (Aug. 27, 2011) |
18,700+ 2,800= 21,500 |
... that although the Muria generally encourage premarital sex, some communities punish young people who take the same sexual partner for more than three nights? | |
Dewi Sandra Quickie Express (Oct. 27, 2011) |
12,200 + 9,200 = 21,400 | 1,783 | ... that Sandra Dewi gave an "arousing" performance in Quickie Express, but has refused to do "vulgar" photo shoots? |
Naked (Glee) (Feb. 1, 2013) |
24,040 + 12,821 - 8,234 -7,319 = 21,308 | 1,775 | ... that in the Glee episode "Naked", when Lea Michele's character Rachel was "Torn" over having to do a topless scene, Michele had to film the song twice so she could duet with herself? |
Disappearance of Leah Roberts (March 18, 2015) |
19,692 + 1,587 = 21,279 | 1,773 | ... that though police investigating the disappearance of Leah Roberts found her wrecked Jeep 15 years ago today, they only looked under the hood in 2006 and saw the starter relay wire had been cut? |
Big Tips Texas, Redneck Heaven (Sep. 19, 2018) |
9,614 + 11,561 = 21,175 | 882 | ... that Big Tips Texas features scantily-clad waitresses from Redneck Heaven, a breastaurant whose body-paint events led to nudity law changes in at least three Texas municipalities? |
List of Billboard Social 50 number-one acts (Jan. 21, 2013) |
21,166 | 2,731 | ... that Canadian singer Justin Bieber holds the record for the most consecutive weeks at number-one on the Billboard Social 50 with 24? |
Escape of Viktor Pestek and Siegfried Lederer from Auschwitz (Sep. 13, 2018) |
21,134 | 880 | ... that a Jewish prisoner at the Auschwitz concentration camp escaped disguised as an SS guard along with an SS-Rottenführer? |
John C. Colt (Oct. 31, 2011) |
21,000 | 1,750 | ... that the unusual way that John C. Colt disposed of his murder victim's corpse may have influenced Edgar Allen Poe's story "The Oblong Box"? |
Falcon Nest (May 1, 2017) |
20,954 | 873 | ... that Falcon Nest is the tallest single-family home in North America? |
List of fastest production motorcycles (Jun. 29, 2011) |
20,800 | 3,466 | ... that the competition to build the fastest production motorcycle raged for over a century, and then ended in a truce? |
Cathy Wayne (Feb. 26, 2009) |
20,700 | ... that pop entertainer Cathy Wayne was the first Australian woman killed in the Vietnam War, when a US Marine shot her on stage while she was performing? | |
2017 EFL Cup Final (Feb. 26 2017) |
20,694 | 1,725 | ... that Southampton reached the 2017 EFL Cup Final against Manchester United today without conceding a goal? |
Salty and Roselle (Apr. 19, 2012) |
20,611 | ... that two guide dogs, Salty and Roselle, were awarded the Dickin Medal for gallantry after leading their blind owners out of the World Trade Center during the September 11 attacks? | |
Thunderbolt (Savin Rock) (Jun. 27, 2017) |
20,604 | 859 | ... that the Thunderbolt was damaged by lightning and then destroyed by a hurricane? |
Gabi (dog) (Apr. 18, 2012) |
20,545 | 1,700 | ... that a dog named Gabi fought a jaguar, preventing the big cat's escape from the Belgrade Zoo onto the streets of Belgrade? |
Citizens! During shelling this side of the street is the most dangerous (May 9, 2019) |
20,508 | 854 | ... that during the siege of Leningrad, citizens were warned that "this side of the street is the most dangerous"? |
Android lawn statues (Nov. 10, 2011) |
20,400 | 1,700 | ... that Google keeps giant dessert items on its lawn? |
City of London swords (Feb. 5, 2018) |
20,246 (=18,902+1,344) | 844 | ... that Queen Elizabeth II planned to hit Idi Amin with the Pearl Sword if he came to her Silver Jubilee, according to Lord Mountbatten? |
Men's parking space (Jul. 11, 2011) |
20,077 | 2,509 | ... that the two men's parking spaces in Triberg, Germany, have drawn accusations of sexism? |
The River (1997 film) (Dec. 16, 2010) |
20,000 | ... that The River was called a "porn movie" by the lead actor's father? | |
Fit in or fuck off (Nov. 17, 2017) |
19,895 | ... that the phrase "fit in or fuck off" – an organizational paradigm – has conceptually been appropriated to other contexts? | |
United States free speech exceptions (Jan. 11, 2012) |
19,800 | 2,475 | ... that there are eight exceptions to the freedom of speech in the United States? |
Dark Hedges (May 11, 2017) |
19,766 | 824 | ... that the Dark Hedges tree tunnel, a popular tourist destination since it was used as the King's Road in Game of Thrones, might not last twenty years? |
George Spencer (New Haven) (Nov. 13, 2011) |
19,700 | 1,641 | ... that a stillborn, deformed piglet's resemblance to George Spencer led to him becoming the first white man executed in Connecticut? |
Han solo (trilobite) (Apr 1, 2009 – April Fool's Day) |
19,700 | ... that a team of archaeologists discovered a fossilized Han Solo in the rocks of China? | |
Black Versace dress of Elizabeth Hurley (May 11, 2011) |
19,600 | ... that "That Dress", worn by Elizabeth Hurley at the premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral in 1994, has been voted the greatest red carpet dress of all time and is perhaps Gianni Versace's best-known creation? | |
Prada Marfa (Apr. 1, 2010 – April Fool's Day) |
19,600 | ... that the Prada Store in Marfa, Texas, is never open? | |
Guy Fort (Apr. 17, 2017) |
19,533 | 814 | ... that Brigadier General Guy Fort is the only American-born general officer to be executed by enemy forces? |
Green Versace "jungle" dress of Jennifer Lopez (May 25, 2011) |
19,500 | ... that David Duchovny said, "I'm sure that nobody is looking at me", when standing beside Jennifer Lopez who was wearing her "jungle" Versace dress? | |
SS Clifton (Oct. 31, 2017) |
19,499 | 812 | ... that the whaleback SS Clifton disappeared for over 90 years? |
Murder of Joey Fischer (Mar. 3, 2017) |
19,477 | 2,434 | ... that Joey Fischer was murdered after he refused to take US$500 to date his ex-girlfriend? |
Unwritten rules of baseball (May 16, 2019) |
19,457 | 1,621 | ... that Michael Jordan broke one of the unwritten rules of baseball? |
Forest ring (Sep. 1, 2017) |
19,451 | 1,621 | ... that forest rings had gone unnoticed by geologists until aerial photography became a common surveying tool in the 1950s? |
Blood rain (Apr. 1, 2010 – April Fool's Day) |
19,400 | ... that a rain of blood in Germany foreshadowed the coming of the Black Death? | |
Murder of Julia Martha Thomas (Jul. 20, 2011) |
19,400 | 2,425 | ... that the severed head of Julia Martha Thomas, murdered, boiled and dismembered by her maid in 1879, was found next door to Sir David Attenborough's house in 2010? |
Ratón (Aug. 19, 2011) |
19,300 | ... that a terrible Mouse weighing 500 kg (1,100 lb) has killed three people in Spain in the last five years? | |
Military tiara (Aug. 3, 2017) |
19,086 | 795 | ... that the United States Marine Corps tiara was designed by the New York fashion house Mainbocher? |
John le Fucker (Apr. 1, 2013) |
16,673 + 2,291 = 18,964 | 2,371 | ... that John le Fucker's name probably did not mean what you might think it means? |
Whose Boat Is This Boat? (Nov. 4, 2018) |
19,682 - (758 + 867)/2 = 18,870 | 786 | ... that Donald Trump "accidentally" contributed to a children's book? |
Death of Mustafa Tamimi (Jul. 11, 2018) |
18,832 | 784 | ... that the Israel Defense Forces exonerated the soldier who killed Mustafa Tamimi with a tear-gas canister (incident pictured), saying the soldier had not seen "any people in the line of fire"? |
Radioplane OQ-17 (Jan. 3, 2018) |
18,832 | 784 | ... that the Radioplane OQ-17 target drone was claimed to be able to match the maneuverability of any fighter aircraft of the mid-1940s? |
The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) (Jun. 17, 2011) |
23,900 - (5,400 + 4,800)/2 = 18,800 | 3,133 | ... that The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) has been banned by the British Board of Film Classification? |
Eriksen M/25 (Jan 4, 2017) |
18,789 | 783 | ... that although only a single example of the Eriksen M/25 machine gun was built, it saw service in the 1940 Norwegian Campaign? |
Rosemary's Baby (miniseries) (May 12, 2014) |
4,212 + 19,080-(2655+6353)/2 = 18,788 | 1,534 | ... that the 2014 adaptation of Rosemary's Baby starring Zoe Saldana is set in Paris rather than New York City like the original novel? |
Jack Sumner (July 27, 2018) |
18,731 | 780 | ... that Grand Canyon explorer Jack Sumner intentionally castrated himself? |
Diethyl azodicarboxylate (Apr. 1, 2011 – April Fool's Day) |
18,600 | 2,325 | ... that even small amounts of dead cat can explode when heated? |
2018 FA Cup Final (May 19, 2018) |
26,426 – (6,075 + 9,647)/2 = 18,565 | 773 | ... that Manchester United are looking to match Arsenal's FA Cup winner's record in today's 2018 FA Cup Final against Chelsea? |
Rico Harris (Oct. 10, 2016) |
18,556 | 1,546 | ... that after the 6-foot-9-inch (206 cm), 300-pound (140 kg) former Harlem Globetrotter Rico Harris disappeared two years ago today, searchers wondered why they could find no trace of such a large man? |
National Masturbation Day (Mar. 21, 2012) |
18,466 | 2,308 | ... that National Masturbation Day, an annual event celebrated in the US in May, was first observed in 1995? |
Lost Nigger Gold Mine (Mar. 7, 2012) |
18,452 | 2,306 | ... that the legendary Lost Nigger Gold Mine, first discovered in 1887, was still being searched for in 1930? |
Law Ting Holm (Apr. 1, 2011 – April Fool's Day) |
18,400 | 2,300 | ... that nesting is not used by breeding Mute Swans but they do use this thing? |
Hexagonal water (Nov. 1, 2011) |
18,400 | 1,533 | ... that hexagonal water, a configuration of water that supposedly stops aging, is a marketing scam? |
Star Trek: The God Thing (Jan. 29, 2015) |
18,346 | 1,528 | ... that Gene Roddenberry blamed religious executives of Paramount Studios for its rejection of Star Trek: The God Thing? |
Disappearing Model (May 1, 2009) |
18,300 | ... that Disappearing Model, a body painting in which a model is painted so that she is indistinguishable from her background, is Joanne Gair's most famous work and was displayed on Ripley's Believe It or Not!? | |
Toilet plume (Jun. 9, 2017) |
18,287 | 762 | ... that there is indirect, but unconfirmed, evidence of certain diseases being spread by toilet plume? |
Wrangell Bombardment (Nov. 16, 2017) |
18,232 | 760 | ... that the U.S. Army bombarded the village of Wrangell, Alaska, in 1869 to force the handover of the first man to be given the death penalty under U.S. rule? |
Battle of Caen (1346) (Jan. 22, 2019) |
18,190 | 758 | ... that after capturing the French town of Caen in 1346, an English army massacred the population and engaged in an orgy of rape? |
Sigma war games (Dec. 17, 2014) |
18,164 | ... that as early as 1962 the Sigma war games predicted that American intervention in the Vietnam War would be unsuccessful? | |
James Ferguson (Scottish politician) (Jan. 28, 2013) |
14,264 + 3,813 = 18,077 | 2,260 | ... that James Ferguson was so ugly that his own mother warned him against being mistaken for a rapist? |
Nasone (Aug. 23, 2017) |
18,049 | 752 | ... that Romans like to drink out of large noses? |
Ines Rau (Nov. 2, 2017) |
18,001 | 750 | ... that Ines Rau is the first transgender woman to be a Playboy Playmate? |
Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr. (Mar. 23, 2012) |
17,992 | 2,249 | ... that in spite of being shot eight times, Mitchell Red Cloud, Jr. ordered his men to tie him to a tree so he could keep fighting, action for which he received the Medal of Honor? |
James Muri (Feb.11, 2013) |
17,974 | 2,237 | ... that World War II pilot James Muri's only means of escape, after attacking the Japanese aircraft carrier Akagi, was to fly down along the line of her flight deck? |
World Naked Gardening Day (Apr. 5, 2012) |
17,935 | 1,195 | ... that World Naked Gardening Day, celebrated in May to promote nude gardening, was first observed in 2005? |
2008 Kerry bogslide (Sep. 9, 2008) |
17,900 | ... that the 2008 Kerry bogslide was described as "one of the most frightening and overwhelming events ever witnessed"? | |
Battle of Grunwald (painting) (Feb. 24, 2012) |
17,856 | 2,232 | ... that the masterpiece painting Battle of Grunwald by Jan Matejko was among the most wanted artifacts that Nazi Germany planned to destroy? |
ASV Mark III radar (May 12, 2019) |
17,754 | 740 | ... that the ASV Mark III radar was able to hunt down German U-boats with deadly efficiency in part because of a little white lie? |
Henryk Siwiak homicide (Sept. 11, 2016) |
17,707 | 738 | ... that the unsolved shooting death of Henryk Siwiak 15 years ago today is officially the only homicide that occurred in New York City on 9/11? |
Boeing RC-1 (Sep. 8, 2014) |
17,700 | ... that the Boeing RC-1, designed to haul ore and oil out of the Arctic, would have been twice the size and weight of the largest aircraft ever built? | |
Rainbow Canyon (California) (Apr. 25, 2017) |
17,641 | 735 | ... that the US military refers to Death Valley's Rainbow Canyon as Star Wars Canyon? |
Pichi (Jul. 23, 2014) |
17,604 | 1,466 | ... that male pichis have a penis that is 60% of their body length, even though the females have no vagina? |
Commodore Nutt (Jan. 30, 2008) |
17,600 | … that Commodore Nutt grew only 37 inches (94 cm) tall? | |
A Free Ride (Feb. 14, 2012) |
17,510 | 2,188 | ... that A Free Ride is considered to be the earliest surviving American hardcore pornographic film? |
Fredy Hirsch (Sep. 11, 2018) |
17,493 | 728 | ... that Fredy Hirsch saved the lives of children at Auschwitz by impressing SS guards, even though he was Jewish and openly gay? |
Trumpington bed burial Bed burial (Mar. 28, 2012) |
12,792 + 4,690 = 17,482 | 2,185 | ... that a 7th-century grave in Cambridge discovered in 2011 held the remains of an Anglo-Saxon teenage girl who was lying on a bed, with a gold and garnet cross on her breast? |
Meat dress of Lady Gaga (May 20, 2011) |
9260 + 10584 - (784 + 3979) / 2 = 17,463 | ... that the meat dress of Lady Gaga was to be preserved by being made into a type of jerky? | |
1900 English beer poisoning (March 21 and 23, 2018) |
13017+4425=17,452 | 364 | ... that the 1900 English beer poisoning, in which more than 6,000 drinkers were poisoned by arsenic, was misdiagnosed for months as alcoholic neuritis? |
1111 Lincoln Road (Jan. 6, 2012) |
17,300 | 2,165 | ... that a parking garage in Miami Beach was described as having a "stunning" design and has hosted weddings, wine tastings, and dinner parties? |
Buxbaumia (Apr. 1, 2010 – April Fool's Day) |
17,200 | ... that humpbacked elves are rarely seen because their bodies are microscopic? | |
Lighthouse and naval vessel urban legend (Sep. 24, 2011) |
17,200 | 1,433 | ... that the Military Officers Association of America reports that the "I'm a lighthouse. Your call" urban legend is forwarded to the organization an average of three times a day? |
Hypoalgesic effect of swearing (Aug. 21, 2013) |
15,818 + 1,368 = 17,186 | ... that you should swear when you hurt yourself? | |
D. J. Wilson 2017–18 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team (June 23, 2017) |
15,699 + 1,364=17,063 | 718.4 | ... that D. J. Wilson entered the 2017 NBA draft rather than staying in college and playing for the 2017–18 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team? |
Stefanie Rabatsch (May 2012) |
15,181 + 1,849 = 17,030 | 2,129 | ... that Adolf Hitler was so hopelessly in love with Stefanie Isak when he was a teenager that he planned to kill both her and himself in the Danube? |
Béatrice Saubin (Nov. 6, 2017) |
17,024 | 709 | ... that the Malaysian High Court sentenced 22-year-old Frenchwoman Béatrice Saubin to death by hanging for smuggling 534 grams (1.177 lb) of pure grade heroin? |
The Black Swan, Oldstead (Oct. 26, 2017) |
17,021 | 709 | ... that The Black Swan at Oldstead is rated the best restaurant in the world by TripAdvisor? |
The Story of Menstruation (Apr. 1, 2009 – April Fool's Day) |
17,000 | ... that in Disney's animated film The Story of Menstruation, the flow is snow white? | |
Hanging Sword Alley (Mar. 9, 2018) |
16,955 | 706 | ... that Hanging Sword Alley was also known as "Blood Bowl Alley" after its infamous night life? |
Jacqueline Voltaire (May 12, 2008) |
16,900 | ... that British actress Jacqueline Voltaire won a "most bizarre sex scene" award in 2005 for her performance in the Mexican film Matando Cabos? | |
Clubfoot George (Apr. 1, 2011) |
16,900 | 2,112 | ... that Clubfoot George was executed by vigilantes because they believed that he was innocent? |
Black Destroyer (Nov 15, 2016) |
16,715 | ... that the short story "Black Destroyer" was the basis for A. E. van Vogt's lawsuit against 20th Century Fox, as the plot of the movie Alien matched it so closely? | |
This (fly) (Dec 12, 2017) |
16,704 | 696 | ... that This is found in southern Australia, is attracted to decomposing seaweed, and has an unusual mating position? |
Cray-3 (Jan 3, 2017) |
16,119 | 672 | ... that when Seymour Cray designed the Cray-3 supercomputer, he insisted that the processor fit into a 1-cubic-foot (0.028 m3) block? |
Cheese slaw (Oct. 6, 2016) |
16,686 | 695 | ... that cheese slaw is sometimes used as a topping for hot dogs? |
Marvel Swimsuit Special (June 19, 2019) |
16,256 | 677 | ... that Marvel Comics published a parody of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue featuring artwork of superheroes in bathing suits? |
Alien Spidy (Apr. 1, 2015 – April Fool's Day) |
15,039 + 1,553 = 16,592 | ... that extraterrestrial spiders have only six legs? | |
Project Camelot (Mar. 19, 2015) |
15,260 + 1,311 = 16,571 | ... that the U.S. Army cancelled Project Camelot on the day Congress began investigating it? | |
Tsutomu Yamaguchi (Mar. 31, 2009) |
16,500 | ... that Tsutomu Yamaguchi is the only known survivor of the atomic bombings of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II? | |
John 3:7 (sign) (Aug. 18, 2009) |
16,300 | ...that John 3:7, once flung from a train window, made the news again in 2009 after going missing on a train? | |
The Big Bend (Jul. 25, 2017)</small |
16,299 | 1,358 | ... that The Big Bend, which would be the world's longest building if built, was designed to circumvent zoning regulations? |
Disappearance of Asha Kreimer (September 2, 2016) |
16,293 | 679 | ... that Asha Kreimer disappeared on her way to the restroom of the Rollerville Cafe in Flumeville? |
Triathlon at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's (Aug. 18, 2016) |
17553 - (1834+749) /2 = 16262 | ... that Jonathan Brownlee collapsed almost immediately after crossing the finish line at the men's triathlon at the 2012 Summer Olympics? | |
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II – An 80th Birthday Portrait (Sep. 7, 2016) |
16,141 | 673 | ... that following the arrest of Rolf Harris, no one knows the location of his painting, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II – An 80th Birthday Portrait? |
Polynesian Dog (Mar. 24, 2017) |
16,104 | 671 | ... that the extinct Polynesian Dog never became feral because of the scarcity of food in the forests of Polynesia? |
Montecristo (Mar. 6, 2012) |
16,035 | 2,004 | ... that the Italian island of Montecristo, although 10.39 km2 (4.01 sq mi) in area, is almost deserted, having only two stable inhabitants? |
Ain't (Aug. 4, 2014) |
12,641 + 3,386 = 16,027 | 1,334 | ... that there ain't no more? |
Roy Wiggins (Jun. 21, 2017) |
16,014 | 667 | ... that Roy Wiggins claimed to have ruined 80 million records? |
John Hervey, 7th Marquess of Bristol (Nov. 17, 2016) |
15,980 | 665 | ... that the 7th Marquess of Bristol once reportedly opened a fridge door by blasting it with a shotgun? |
Ilse Hess (Apr. 21, 2017) |
15,944 | 664 | ... that Ilse Hess, who was one of the first women to study at the University of Munich, remained a committed Nazi after World War II? |
Ntrepid (Apr. 1, 2011 – April Fool's Day) |
15,900 | 1,987 | ... that Ntrepid was paid $2.76 million by the U.S. military to create sock puppets? |
Death of Margaret Martin (Oct. 6-7, 2015) | 15,865 | 755 | ... that after the death of Margaret Martin in 1938, plainclothes police officers attended her funeral in the hopes of spotting possible suspects? |
Maurice (emperor) (Aug. 14, 2018) |
15,838 | 660 | ... that the deposed Byzantine emperor Maurice was forced to watch his six sons executed before he was beheaded himself? |
Samson Isberg Murder of Knut Grøte (Apr. 4, 2012) |
9,620+ 6,196= 15,816 |
1,977 | ... that Samson Isberg's last beheadings were attended by about 5,000 spectators? |
Hermann Hogeback (Dec. 20, 2012) |
14,668 + 1,145 = 15,813 | 1,318 | ... that Hermann Hogeback's entire bomber crew was decorated with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II, a unique distinction in the Luftwaffe? |
Lepiota brunneoincarnata (Nov. 7, 2017) |
15,806 | 659 | ... that people have been poisoned after mistaking the deadly dapperling for the grey knight? |
Megapenthes lugens (Jun. 27, 2010) |
15,800 | ... that the Queen's executioner lives in Windsor Great Park and feeds on weevils and nectar? | |
List of United States Presidents by net worth (Aug. 29, 2012) |
10,613 + 5,176 = 15,789 | 1,973 | ... that Harry Truman was the poorest U.S. President since 1929? |
Abraham Lincoln's hearse (Mar. 22, 2017) |
15,759 | 1,313 | ... that Abraham Lincoln's "immense" hearse was escorted by 160,000 people as it was drawn through New York City? |
MTB 345 (Nov. 15, 2012) |
14,168 + 1,576 = 15,744 | 1,989 | ... that the Norwegian-British crew of MTB 345 were tortured and executed as a result of Adolf Hitler's Commando Order? |
25 Luglio (Jul. 25, 2013) |
14,851 + 873 = 15,724 | 1,966 | ... that on 25 July 1943, the Gran Consiglio del Fascismo asked the king to reassume power, provoking the fall of Italian Fascism and the arrest of Mussolini? |
Boise homosexuality scandal (Jun. 9, 2009) |
15,700 | ... that a sex scandal in Boise, Idaho, in 1955 resulted in almost 1,500 people being interviewed and a list of 500 suspected homosexuals? | |
White Tights (Dec. 9, 2008) |
15,700 | 1,962 | ... that White Tights are mysterious blonde female snipers from the Baltic states who have supposedly fought against the Russian Army in various conflicts? |
The Rolling Stones (Oct. 9, 2017) |
15,637 | 652 | ... that The Rolling Stones are a British rock band? Okay, you probably did... |
Searchlight Control radar (Feb. 19, 2018) |
15,626 | 686 | ... that British Army researchers developed SLC radar in their spare time after they grew tired of watching how "searchlight beams swung wildly about the sky but rarely found and held a target"? |
Tyrannasorus rex (Feb. 1, 2013) |
15,612 | 1,952 | ... that Tyrannasorus rex had wings and six legs? |
Death of Alloura Wells, Murder of Tess Richey, 2010–2017 Toronto serial homicides (Jun. 19, 2018) |
4,140 + 3,824 + 7,646 = 15,610 | 650 | ... that the deaths of Alloura Wells and Tess Richey, reported one day apart, renewed fears of a serial killer in Toronto's gay village? |
Jerry Hardin (Jan. 11, 2012) |
15,600 | 1,950 | ... that Deep Throat's daughter is Monk's wife? |
Dismaland (Aug. 27, 2015) |
15,598 | ... that Banksy described his Dismaland as a "family theme park unsuitable for children"? | |
Batman and Harley Quinn (June 26, 2017) |
15,542 | 648 | ... that in Batman and Harley Quinn, Kevin Conroy reprises his role as Batman? |
Salar del Hombre Muerto (June. 11, 2019) |
15,529 | ... that the Salt Pan of the Dead Man is one of the most important sources of lithium in the world? | |
Faces of Meth (Feb. 1, 2011) |
15,505 | ... that the Faces of Meth project shows before-and-after images documenting physical deterioration caused by meth use? | |
TSS The Queen (Apr. 1, 2010 – April Fool's Day) |
15,500 | ... that The Queen was captured by the Germans in 1916? | |
Kalantaka (May 25, 2011) |
15,500 | ... that the icon of "the Death of Death" is popular in South India? | |
Disney bomb (Jun. 22, 2011) |
15,500 | 2,583 | ... that the Disney bomb of the Second World War is thought to have been inspired by the Walt Disney cartoon Victory Through Air Power? |
Escape from Tomorrow (Jan. 29, 2013) |
13,665 + 2,462 - (869 + 403)/2 = 15,491 | 1,936 | ... that Escape from Tomorrow was covertly filmed on location at Disneyland and Walt Disney World without Disney's permission or knowledge, using iPhones to store scripts and schedules and record sound? |
Viking raid on Seville (844)(May 2, 2017) | 15,471 | 645 | ... that when the Vikings occupied Seville in 844, they tried unsuccessfully to burn the city's great mosque? |
The Boat Race 2008 (Jul. 21, 2014) |
1,176 + 14,294 = 15,470 | 1,263 | ... that the 2008 Boat Race featured the oldest ever competitor, a 36-year-old? |
Abortion in Latvia (Jun. 22, 2013) |
15,446 | 1,931 | ... that in 1991 there were 34,633 births and 44,886 abortions in Latvia? |
How Am I Supposed to Kill You If You Have All the Guns? (Jun. 26, 2009) |
15,441 | ... that How Am I Supposed to Kill You If You Have All the Guns? was described as "disgusting" by the parents of one of its creators? | |
Frontier Series (Apr. 1, 2014) |
13,354 + 2,058 = 15,402 | ... that Canada's new money features too much pornography and not enough women? | |
USCGC Chincoteague (WPB-1320), MY Titanic (Apr. 1, 2011) |
8,592 + 6,800 = 15,392 |
1,924 | ... that in 2010, three survivors of the Titanic were rescued by the USCGC Chincoteague? |
Dylan Penn treats! (Sep. 9, 2014) |
12,213 + 3,149 = 15,362 | 1,340 | ... that Dylan Penn—daughter of Sean Penn and Robin Wright—declined a US$150,000 offer to pose for a Playboy cover, but later appeared nude behind a $6000 Fendi bag on a treats! cover? |
Murder of Leigh Leigh (Aug. 21, 2014) |
12,398 + 2906 = 15,304 | 1,275 | ... that the murder of 14-year-old schoolgirl Leigh Leigh inspired a theatrical play that was later adapted into a feature film?' |
Sharknado (Jul. 22, 2013) |
28,590 - 13,332 = 15,258 | 1,272 | ... that, in case of a Sharknado, a National Weather Service representative recommended staying indoors "whether sharks are raining down or not"? |
Charlotte McKinney (Mar. 11, 2015) |
12,382 + 4,663 - (1,292 + 2,415) / 2 = 15,192 | 1,266 | ... that model Charlotte McKinney became "insta-famous" by posting pictures to Instagram? |
IM 67118 (Jul. 11, 2019) |
15,165 | 632 | ... that a clay tablet at the National Museum of Iraq, dated to c. 1770 BCE, shows a calculation that uses the Pythagorean theorem—twelve centuries prior to the birth of Pythagoras? |
Cut Sleeve (Apr. 1, 2016) |
15,159 | 1,895 | ... that He was gay? |
Yuri Gagarin (Jul. 21, 2019) |
35,088 - (29,117 + 10,771)/2 = 15,144 | 631 | ... that pilot-cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space and first to orbit the Earth, ejected from his descending spacecraft at an altitude of about 7,000 metres (23,000 ft)? |
2019 Saudi Arabia mass execution (Jun. 26, 2019) |
15,115 | 629 | ... that the 37 civilians beheaded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in April 2019 included at least three who were minors at the time of their arrest? |
DYK page view leaders by month (over 5,000 views)
October 2019
Article | Image | DYK views | Views / hour | DYK hook |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hannah Simpson Grant | 21,128 | 884 | ... that Hannah Simpson Grant (pictured), mother of U.S. president Ulysses S. Grant, did not attend her son's inauguration? | |
Lisa Gordon-Hagerty | 17,750 | 739 | ... that Lisa Gordon-Hagerty (pictured), head of the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration, once said, "I have more important things to do than advise Nicole Kidman"? | |
Barbecue spaghetti | 16,084 | 670 | ... that John Shelton Reed wrote that barbecue spaghetti (pictured) "is to spaghetti Bolognese as Cincinnati chili is to the Tex-Mex variety"? | |
Idalia Ramos Rangel | 14,466 | ... that a US$25,000 bounty is offered for Big Momma? | ||
Writing lines | 12,462 | 519 | ... that writing lines (example pictured), as cartoon character Bart Simpson does on a chalkboard, has survived even as other forms of school discipline have fallen out of favour? | |
Kate Dover, Thomas Skinner (etcher), Crown vs Kate Dover |
4,974 + 1,947 + 4,161 = 11,082 | 461 | ... that in 1881, Kate Dover killed Thomas Skinner by cooking him a roast dinner with arsenic in the stuffing, but was not convicted of murder? | |
63rd Street Tunnel | 11,037 | 459 | ... that the upper level of New York's 63rd Street Tunnel took 20 years to open, while the lower level is still under construction after nearly half a century? | |
Mia Khalifa (song) | 10,965 | ... that more than 4 million videos on TikTok feature the song "Mia Khalifa" – also known as the "Hit or Miss" song – even though the app had not licensed its use and has never paid the artists? | ||
Margaret Macpherson Grant | 10,285 | ... that 19th-century Scottish heiress and philanthropist Margaret Macpherson Grant died, aged 42, shortly after her female partner had abandoned her to marry a man? | ||
TASBot | 9,428 | 392 | ... that speedrunning robot TASBot made a Skype call in The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past? | |
Mike Wallace Is Here | 9,400 | 391 | ... that director Avi Belkin said the title of his 2019 documentary Mike Wallace Is Here once constituted "the four most-dreaded words in the English language"? | |
Jim Furyk's round of 58 | 9,333 | 388 | ... that after 1.5 million rounds played over the history of the PGA Tour, the first 58 was shot by Jim Furyk (pictured)? | |
Tweed Courthouse | 9,286 | 386 | ... that the construction of New York City's Tweed Courthouse, prolonged over 20 years, has been called "a classic in the annals of American graft"? | |
Litsy | 8,984 | 374 | ... that Litsy is similar to Twitter and Instagram, but is only for books? | |
London medical students at Belsen | 8,646 | ... that in 1945, a group of London medical students (pictured) travelled to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp to treat the survivors? | ||
The VelociPastor | 8,195 | 341 | ... that the director of the film The VelociPastor thought of the idea when his phone autocorrected "Velociraptor" to "Veloci Pastor"? | |
Eagle Woman | 8,054 | ... that Eagle Woman (pictured) is credited as the only woman to become a chief among the Sioux, and the first woman to sign a treaty with the United States? | ||
Memorial and Education Centre Andreasstrasse | 7,494 | ... that the occupation of the Stasi district headquarters and Stasi prison (pictured) in Erfurt was a milestone in the Peaceful Revolution? | ||
Uppalavanna | 7,073 | ... that one of the Buddha's chief female disciples, Uppalavanna, is said to have become a nun because she was so beautiful that her father feared conflict between her many wealthy suitors?" | ||
Joseph LaBarge | 7,068 | 294 | ... that in 1863, Captain Joseph LaBarge (pictured) made a trip up and down the Missouri River aboard his steamboat, exceeding existing records for speed and distance? | |
Yu Zhenwu | 7,046 | 294 | ... that Yu Zhenwu conducted the maiden flight of China's first indigenously designed jet aircraft and, decades later, became Commander of the People's Liberation Army Air Force? | |
Geostationary orbit | 7,012 | 292 | ... that satellites in a geostationary orbit appear stationary in the sky to a ground observer? | |
Benjamin F. Lewis | 6,884 | 286 | ... that the murder of Chicago alderman Benjamin F. Lewis was considered unsolvable for having too many suspects? | |
War of the Peters | 6,713 | 279 | ... that up to 60,000 people were displaced during the War of the Peters? | |
Jaakko Gauriloff | 6,450 | 268 | ... that in his youth, Finnish Skolt singer Jaakko Gauriloff (pictured) was called "the James Dean of Nellim" and "the world's northernmost schlager singer"? | |
Apple maggot | 6,427 | 267 | ... that adult apple maggot flies (example pictured) use their wing patterns defensively to mimic spiders? | |
Raúl Alberto Trejo Benavides | 6,279 | ... that after drug cartel member Raúl Alberto Trejo Benavides was killed in a shootout, his comrades tried to fabricate a suicide? | ||
Hollow Dogū | 6,041 | 251 | ... that the sexual characteristics of the Hollow Dogū, a National Treasure of Japan, are so mixed that the Jōmon figurine has been said to "transcend gender"? | |
Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi | 6,464 - (578 + 618)/2 = 5,866 | 244 | ... that property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, fiancé of Princess Beatrice of York, co-founded a charity in Rwanda that aims to use cricket to foster social change? | |
REDress Project | 5,782 | 240 | ... that the red dresses (example pictured) in Jaime Black's REDress Project represent the missing and murdered Indigenous women of Canada and the United States? | |
Fifth Avenue/53rd Street station | 5,771 | 240 | ... that for a time, subway riders exiting the Fifth Avenue/53rd Street station in the evening could find themselves trapped behind a locked gate? | |
Nitehawk Cinema | 5,575 | 232 | ... that in 2011, Nitehawk Cinema (pictured) successfully lobbied to overturn a Prohibition-era liquor law that prevented movie theaters in New York from serving alcohol? | |
Podostemum ceratophyllum | 5,461 | 227 | ... that the cause of the decline in hornleaf riverweed, a foundation species in swift-flowing rivers in North America, is unclear? | |
Celia Harvey | 5,273 | 219 | ... that Celia Harvey has been a countess, a lecturer, a parliamentary candidate, and a British Army brigadier? | |
Archer Avenue lines | 5,151 | 214 | ... that the Archer Avenue subway took 16 years to finish, was completed at a cost of nearly five times its original budget, and was cut back to a fraction of its original length? | |
Bissinger Wool Pullery | 5,103 | 212 | ... that the Bissinger Wool Pullery processed dead sheep? | |
Brigid Leventhal | 5,087 | 211 | ... that pediatric oncologist Brigid Leventhal was one of only six women in her graduating class from Harvard Medical School in 1960? | |
John Hancock (venereologist) | 5,063 | 210 | ... that in 1945, London medical student John Hancock's studies were interrupted when he contracted typhus in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp? |
September 2019
Article | Image | DYK views | Views / hour | DYK hook |
---|---|---|---|---|
Baba Anujka | 33,721 | 2,810 | ... that Serbian poisoner Baba Anujka (pictured), aged over 90 at the time of her trial, was sentenced to 15 years' hard labor? | |
Salomon Klass | 24,619 | 1,025 | ... that when a German colonel found out that Finnish captain Salomon Klass (pictured) was Jewish, he said "I have nothing personal against you as a Jew" and gave him the Hitler salute? | |
Bernard Schriever | 23,430 | 976 | that when Bernard Schriever (pictured) was promoted to general in 1961, General Curtis LeMay looked at his four stars and said that had it been up to him, Schriever would not be wearing them? | |
LGBT-free zone | 21,633 | 1,802 | ... that as of August 2019, around thirty LGBT-free zones have been declared in Poland, including four south-eastern voivodeships (depicted on map)? | |
Central Park | 14,833 | 618 | ... that in the 1860s, the land for New York City's Central Park (pictured) was purchased for a higher price than was paid for Alaska? | |
Race to grow the hottest pepper | 13,241 | 1,103 | ... that according to Guinness World Records, the Carolina Reaper (pictured) is currently the leader in the race to grow the hottest pepper? | |
Jew with a coin | File:Krakow Sukiennice 001 cropped.jpg | 12,752 | 1,063 | ... that in some Polish homes, an image of a Jew holding a coin (example pictured, left) hangs to the left of the doorway, and is customarily turned upside down on the Sabbath so that good fortune may fall upon the household? |
Type 271 radar | 12,555 | 523 | ... that one of the first microwave radars, the British Type 271 (Type 273Q pictured) on board HMS Duke of York, led to the night-time sinking of the German battleship Scharnhorst? | |
Sang de boeuf glaze | 10,751 | 896 | ... that American potter Hugh C. Robertson was left "nearly penniless" in 1889 by his years of attempts to recreate the Chinese porcelain sang de boeuf glaze (example pictured)? | |
Patricia Ortega and Being Impossible | 6,837 + 2,910 = 9,747 | 812 | ... that Venezuelan director Patricia Ortega (pictured) has drawn strength from her film Being Impossible during both personal and political upheavals? | |
Brooklyn Army Terminal | 9,702 | 809 | ... that upon its completion one hundred years ago this month, the Brooklyn Army Terminal (pictured) was the world's largest concrete building complex? | |
Xu Xiaodong | 8,759 | 730 | ... that Xu Xiaodong defeated a self-styled kung fu master, who claimed to possess supernatural powers, in 20 seconds? | |
Yeh Changti, Chang Liyi | 4,865 + 3,250 = 8,115 | 676 | ... that after U-2 spy aircraft piloted by Yeh Changti and Chang Liyi were shot down over China, the United States began prioritizing the development of drones at Area 51? | |
Aeroméxico Connect Flight 2431 | 7,863 | 655 | ... that an unauthorized student pilot was in control of Aeroméxico Connect Flight 2431 up until five seconds before it crashed? | |
Lynching of Jay Lynch | 7,077 | ... that the death penalty in Missouri was restored in large part due to the lynching of Jay Lynch? | ||
Charles Sotheby (Royal Navy officer) | 6,746 | 562 | ... that following an injustice suffered by the British consul, Charles Sotheby trained his frigate's guns on the Bey of Rhodes' house and opened fire? | |
Janice Kavander | 6,729 | 280 | ... that Janice Kavander (pictured) once sang both the U.S. and Canadian national anthems at a hockey game – in Sweden? | |
The woman who made up her mind | 6,619 | 552 | ... that Better Together's "The woman who made up her mind" advert opposing Scottish independence so upset politician Sandra Grieve that she changed her mind and began supporting independence? | |
1275 British earthquake | 6,599 | 550 | ... that an earthquake on 11 September 1275 caused the destruction of the church on Glastonbury Tor (tor and rebuilt church pictured) and was felt across England and Wales, but its epicentre is unknown? | |
George Bangs | 6,506 | ... that George Bangs's cemetery memorial features a mail car (pictured), carved to scale, commemorating his leadership of the Railway Mail Service? | ||
Trial of Mary Fitzpatrick | 6,433 | 536 | ... that when rag sorter Mary Fitzpatrick was tried for murder, the jury included six aristocrats and the judge was Sir Henry Hawkins of the High Court, known as "Hanging Hawkins"? | |
Areyo Hoshikuzu, Sansuke Yamada | [4,252] + 2,022 = 6,274 | 261 | ... that before he wrote Areyo Hoshikuzu, a manga about demobilized soldiers in occupied Japan, series creator Sansuke Yamada was best known as a gay manga artist? | |
The Man (Taylor Swift song) | 6,266 | 522 | ... that Taylor Swift uses Leonardo DiCaprio as an example to explain sexism in her song "The Man"? | |
Cova Foradà | 6,031 | 503 | ... that a Neanderthal man, whose upper jaw was found in the Cova Foradà in Spain, used a toothpick because he had sore gums? | |
Johann Schwarzhuber | 5,997 | 499 | ... that Johann Schwarzhuber, the leader of the Auschwitz men's camp, was sentenced to death during the first Ravensbrück concentration camp trial? | |
Kontorhaus District | 5,966 | 497 | ... that a cholera outbreak was ultimately responsible for the development of Hamburg's Kontorhaus District (building pictured)? | |
Rugg/Feldman benchmarks | 5,966 | 497 | ... that Steve Wozniak's Integer BASIC was so fast in the Rugg/Feldman benchmarks that Bill Gates complained? | |
Chief of the Defence Staff (India) | 5,770 | 480 | ... that India is creating the post of Chief of the Defence Staff twenty years after it was officially suggested? | |
iPhone 11 Pro | 11,626 - (6,373 + 6,154)/2 = 5,363 | 223 | ... that the iPhone 11 Pro is the first iPhone to feature a "Pro" designation, which was previously used only for larger Apple devices? | |
Leo Skurnik | 5,358 | 446 | ... that when offered the award of the Iron Cross from Nazi Germany, Leo Skurnik, a Jewish major in the Finnish Army, refused, reportedly saying "I wipe my arse with it"? | |
Myth of the clean Wehrmacht | 5,330 | 444 | ... that the myth of the clean Wehrmacht persisted in Germany until the 1990s, when it was eroded by the Wehrmacht Exhibition? | |
47th Infantry Regiment (United States) | 5,283 | 440 | ... that the fictional character Forrest Gump was portrayed as serving during the Vietnam War with the 47th Infantry Regiment? | |
Brigitte Kronauer | 5,217 | ... that writer Brigitte Kronauer (pictured), who won the Georg Büchner Prize, the Jean Paul Prize, and the Thomas Mann Prize, was described as both "a master of spite" and having "great kindness"? | ||
Chen Shunyao | 5,175 | 431 | ... that when Chen Shunyao served as deputy party chief of Tsinghua University, the future Chinese president Hu Jintao was a protégé of hers? | |
Decipherment of ancient Egyptian scripts | 5,107 | 426 | ... that after making a breakthrough in the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs, Jean-François Champollion (depiction shown) cried "I've done it!" and collapsed in a faint that lasted days? | |
Ursula Boese | 5,082 | 423 | ... that Ursula Boese, a long-time member of the Hamburgische Staatsoper, appeared as Stravinsky's Iocaste at La Scala, and at the San Francisco Opera in the presence of the composer? |
Archive of monthly DYKSTATS leaders
2019, by month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug
2018, by month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2017, by month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2016, by month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2015, by month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2014, by month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2013, by month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2012, by month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2011, by month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2010, by month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2009, by month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec